Jamie Ward scored the only goal of the game earlier in the month to settle a closely-fought FA Cup Third Round tie, a goal that has heralded a fine run of form from the Northern Ireland international who repeated his feat of netting the winner in Saturday’s excellent victory away to Middlesbrough.
The FA Cup meeting was a game of few chances and there is little to suggest that Tuesday’s game will be anything different although Queens Park Rangers will hope to have more of a cutting edge to their play despite the loss of Charlie Austin to Southampton.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has reinvested some of the Austin fee in Peterborough United’s highly-rated Conor Washington and he made an immediate impact when coming on as a substitute against Wolves on Saturday, a direct run and cross leading to an excellent chance for Tjaronn Cherry.
German striker Sebastian Polter has also found his goalscoring feet.
Forest, however, will be of confidence, not just because of the Middlesbrough win but because the performance at the Riverside was a continuation of all the good things the Reds have done throughout December and January.
Dougie Freedman may shuffle his pack once again after calling Saturday’s game the ‘toughest’ his side have faced this season.